The U.S. News list is based on factors such as a school's academic reputation, retention and graduation rates, student-faculty ratios, class size, faculty resources and student test scores.

"The 2009 lists speak to Michigan's strength as a state," WMU President John Dunn said Friday in a press release. "Our higher education system has a significant presence on the list, with many of our sister schools receiving strong recommendations in their respective categories."